Saturday, July 29, 2017

Thanks -- I Think?

The Federal Aviation Administration needs to take a look at the shrinking size of airline seats as well as the space between them. I say that, you say that, and anyone who has to fly very often says that. So does Patricia Millett, but she has the advantage of being a sitting federal appeals judge so the FAA has to listen to her.

It's sort of a good news-bad news situation. On the one hand, the smaller seats and reduced size in between them is one of the many reasons flying today sucks. On the other hand, the issue that concerns Judge Millett is flight safety rather than passenger discomfort. So if the airlines can prove that sitting us in one another's laps doesn't compromise the ability of passengers to leave the plane in an emergency, then they can continue pushing us closer and closer together as well as away from their services.

But maybe the FAA will wake up and realize it's supposed to be the consumer's watchdog and tell the airlines to spread out a little. Hey, if the Chicago Cubs can win a World Series, anything is possible.

2 comments:

"Getting off the plane safely in an emergency" vs. "not having people develop DVT because they're trapped in a tiny space and are discouraged from getting up and walking around the cabin"....I wonder if blood clots aren't a more-likely risk than "a bunch of people can't get off the plane in an emergency"?

I dunno. I haven't flown in nearly 20 years and I remember feeling like my knees were pushed into my chest THEN (and I am only 5' 7")so I can't imagine what it's like now.